Preface xix
ESA in the last (114th) Congress. Eff orts are being made to
take powers away from the Environmental Protection Agency,
and many of President Obama’s executive orders aff ecting the
environment are in the process of being reversed by new execu-
tive orders issued by Donald Trump. While environmentalists
and their champions in Congress are committed to the preven-
tion of a weakened ESA, those opposed to the law are equally
determined.
Endangered Species is designed as a comprehensive resource
guide for individuals who wish to learn about endangered spe-
cies and the ESA. Th e majority of the book was written before
the Trump administration entered offi ce. Although I have up-
dated the information in this book as much as possible before
it was sent to press, there may be changes in endangered spe-
cies, climate, and general environmental legislation and rules
that are not covered in the book. Th e use of the resources in
Chapter 6, however, especially the links in the section on the
Internet, should be helpful in fi nding the latest actions and
changes to the ESA and policy concerning the environment
and endangered species.
I agreed to write this book as an opportunity to use my ex-
tensive background as a biologist and my concern about the
increased losses of biodiversity. In the fi rst chapter, I establish
the seriousness of the rapid losses of biodiversity and the his-
tory and background of eff orts to protect imperiled species and
the habitats in which they reside. I include the biology respon-
sible for species diversity, major points in the ESA, the history
leading up to passage of the ESA, and the legal battles that
followed. Th e second chapter discusses the issues, pro and con,
that aff ect endangered species and the controversy surrounding
the ESA. Two species are highlighted, the gray wolf and greater
sage-grouse, as examples of two diff erent approaches to dealing
with species protection.
Chapter 3 is unique because it contains essays from indi-
viduals from diff erent walks of life involved in various aspects
of endangered species activities: a hunter, a fi sherman, a major
